When Wizkid released his fourth studio album, Made in Lagos in October 2020, the initial reaction from fans was one of excitement.
Within it’s first week of release, Made in Lagos broke several African streaming records. It also became the first African album to debut on the Spotify Global Album chart, debuting within the top ten. The album surpassed 100 million streams across five platforms nine days after release, a rare milestone for Afro-pop artists.
Now, the afrobeats superstar has released the deluxe version of the album with an additional four songs. To Wizkid fans, this is Christmas!
The 14 original songs from Made in Lagos are joined by four new songs including the Justin Bieber remix of the chart topping “Essence”. Essence is currently at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Sonically, ‘Made In Lagos’ is an excellent body of work, the deluxe edition just reminds listeners of the fact. Wizkid knows afrobeats and should be respected as a legend.
Some additional features on the deluxe include Justin Bieber and Buju. It was also meant to feature rising star Bella Shmurda, but label issues meant the song never saw the light of day.
ALSO READ: Wizkid’s Made In Lagos tops Billboard world album chart
The new additions follow the original album’s vibe. With the mid-tempo flow and cadence of of the album, the deluxe is just more of the same delicious rhythm.
On “Anoti,” rising producer, P.Priime cooked up a wonderful mix of drums, guitar riffs and keynotes that’s sure to get you on your feet. Wizkid’s vocals also work seamlessly to tie it all together. Anoti wouldn’t have felt out of place on the original album.
For ‘Mood’, Buju joins Wizkid to serve up a relaxing vibe. The song is a delightful mix of Buju’s vocals and Wizkid’s songwriting prowess which translates into a beautiful offering from ‘Big Wiz’.
Now for my favorite of the four new songs. This song is R&B gold and that’s exactly what I like. Steady comes on and I just want to cuddle up to someone I should have nothing to do with, that’s the truth. It’s hard to make out that the supporting vocals you hear are Tay Iwar’s but once you find out, you can’t miss it. The lyrics paint a sexy night out filled with desire and passion with a love interest. Who can say no to that?!
The final one of the quartet is the already released remix of “Essence” which features Tems and Justin Bieber. It perfectly closes out the deluxe version of Made in Lagos as it shows Wizkid’s vision for the Afrobeats sound.